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The basic method to apply when expressing feedback is to separate feelings and needs from observations.

This is a structured 4 step approach to express feedback in a non-violent way:

1. OBSERVATIONS = FACTS
What I observe.
"When I (see, hear) ...
2. FEELINGS = EFFECTS
How I feel.
"I feel ..."
3. NEEDS = MOTIVATION
What I need or value.
"... because I need/value ..."
4. DIALOGUE + ACTION (= suggestions)
The concrete actions I would like taken (by the other person)
... Would you be willing to ... ?

Examples of bad apples in a group: the passive-aggressive group eroder, the blunt/rude dominant, the controller, the slacker, the anti-establishment guy, the divide-and-conquer schemer, the arrogant fat head

Slide 9: Groupthink

Groupthink is a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment”.

Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanise other groups. A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making.

Cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

Slide 10: How to explore team dynamics?

Listen to the way team members are communicating

Observe behaviours: can you recognise certain team roles? Who has an introvert personality, who’s extrovert?

Let’s explore the “dynamics” and emotional intelligence of a team and how a common understanding can help the team to get to a “well performing” state (besides the emotional intelligence, it’s absolutely necessary to have good technical skills and modern day engineering practices, e.g. in the context of product / software development – but that’s not the subject of this article).

It’s known that emotions and behaviours in a group are contagious and can have a dramatic impact on a team. After all, we are humans and not robots are we? You could say, one person is more professional than the other and can put aside any emotions in a professional environment. On the other hand, some degree of emotional binding is necessary to get to an effective team.

What’s important for a team?

We would like our team to be focused, be collaborative and have a sense for common purpose.

Please note: when working with multiple teams, the teams could define a manifesto per team – this seems the most natural as teams will be different. You could also define a manifesto on the level of the project / programme, including a vision for the product or service being built.

I do remember this from my business communication class and came along it in a blog post at SocialCast.

The Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing model of group development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. This model has become the basis for subsequent models. [from Wikipedia]